The President of Georgia went to Martvii region today and visited newly opened cathedral of St. Nicolas today. MikheilSaakashvili addressed the local population that gathered in the courtyard of cathedral to greet the President. As he said this cathedral represents a symbol of strength, construction and faith.
"This is a motherland of George Chkondideli, this is a place where theroots of David Agmashenebeli - the symbol of Georgian statehood and national idea comes from. He got education here and he got introduced to the idea of united Georgia. If there is something on earth that is close to paradise - for me it is Martvili, SalkhinoMountains, villages Chkoni and Bandza... Everything concerning to this place is beautiful. However the mountains, history, our past and special beauty of this place is not the major factor, but you very talented, hard-working, patriot and special citizens are the most important. Sure I know that people here are in extreme hardship, but these people never surrender to the hardship, misfortune and many troubles that came to their houses - these people were always optimists. Our future and our country stand exactly on this optimism. His Holiness will prove that the Archbishop is doing very special job here and it is especially good that Christian faith, our ideals, our historic values - everything what we live with and stand on - had been extremely strengthening in Mengrelia during last several years. All these happened with the hard work of our Archbishops, with the hard work of His Holiness. Mengrelia plays a function of firmness, basis, standing point and one of the driving force of Georgia as never before. Sure I am one of you ad I want everyone to continue this process together", the President of Georgia stated.
The Catholicos Patriarch of all Georgia, his Holiness Ilia II sanctified St. NickolozChathedral and blessed the congregation.